July 24, 2016

170 years ago
1846

Communications
The first Canadian demonstration of the electric telegraph took place at Toronto city hall.

150 years ago
1866

Americana
Tennessee became the first Confederate state to be readmitted to the Union following the American Civil War.

130 years ago
1886

Baseball
Adonis Terry pitched a no-hitter for the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers as they edged the St. Louis Browns 1-0 in an American Association game in Brooklyn.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Bob Eberly. U.S. singer. Mr. Eberly sang with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, and went with Jimmy when the brothers split in 1935. Mr. Eberly was known for his duets with Helen O'Connell on songs such as Green Eyes (1941) and Tangerine (1941), major hits for Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra. Mr. Eberly's brother Ray was also a singer, primarily with Glenn Miller and his Orchestra. Bob Eberly died of a heart attack on November 17, 1981 at the age of 65.

John D. MacDonald. U.S. author. Mr. MacDonald was known for crime and suspense novels, especially those set in Florida and involving the character Travis McGee. Mr. MacDonald died on December 28, 1986 at the age of 70.

Sheila Florance. Australian actress. Miss Florance appeared in plays, films, and television programs in a career spanning more than 40 years. She was best known for playing convict convict Lizzie Birdsworth in the television soap opera Prisoner (1979-1984). Miss Florance died of cancer on October 12, 1991 at the age of 75, shortly after receiving the AACTA Award for her starring performance in A Woman's Tale (1991).

Scandal
The trial began in Winnipeg for former Manitoba Premier Rodmond Roblin and his ministers, charged with fraud.

75 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Willis Hawley, 77. U.S. politician. Mr. Hawley, a Republican, represented Oregon's 1st District in the United States House of Representatives from 1907-1933. He was best known as the co-sponsor of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930.

War
The U.S.S.R. claimed that the 5th German Infantry Division had been destroyed at Smolensk. The British government announced that three million more men must register for the armed forces or war work. U.S. War Secretary Henry Stimson accused Senator Burton K. Wheeler (Democrat--Montana) with sending cards to soldiers urging them to write to President Franklin D. Roosevelt "against our entry into the European war." Mr. Stimson added that this action "comes very near the line of subversive activities...if not treason."

Japanese warships and transports were reported off Carn Rahn Bay in French Indochina.

Ecuador claimed that one of her military officers had seen more than 3,000 Japanese officers and soldiers in the Peruvian front line as border fighting between Ecuador and Peru continued.

Diplomacy
Argentina approved the Havana Convention of 1940.

World events
The Bolivian government dismissed Major Elias Belmonte Pabon, military attache to Germany, for allegedly plotting with Germany against Bolivia.

Defense
U.S. War Secretary Henry Stimson asked the Senate to declare an emergency and authorize the President to extend indefinitely military service terms. U.S. President Roosevelt hinted that the United States may stop shipping oil to Japan in view of "what looks like an act of aggression."

Business
Merrill Lynch, E.A. Pierce & Cassett and Fenner & Beane, the two largest brokers on the New York Stock Exchange, announced that they would merge.

Labour
A wildcat strike of 700 workers took place at the Aluminium Company of Canada's plant at Arvida, Quebec; 4,500 workers walked out the following day.

U.S. Office of Production Management Associate Director Dr. Sidney Hillman announced that the American Federation of Labor building trades unions had agreed not to strike defense projects.

70 years ago
1946

War
Chinese Communist released seven U.S. Marines who had been seized in Manchuria on July 13.

Terrorism
A British White Paper accused Haganah, Irgun Zvai Leumi, and the Stern Gang of planned sabotage in Palestine under the direction of the Jewish Agency.

Science
Dow Chemical Company President Willard Dow received the 1946 Chemistry Industry Medal from the Society of the Chemical Industry.

Labour
General Electric signed a contract with the Congress of Industrial Organizations United Electrical, Radio and Machine workers providing for an 18 1/2c hourly wage increase; improved job security; vacations; and higher starting pay for 100,000 workers.

60 years ago
1956

Politics and government
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson (Democrat--Texas) defeated efforts by Senate civil rights advocates to deprive the Senate Judiciary Committee of jurisdiction over a bill establishing a special civil rights division in the Justice Department.

Business
Greyhound Bus Corp. announced plans to file a "multi-million dollar" suit against General Motors over mechanical defects found in 570 of its 1,000 Scenicruiser buses.

Disasters
Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi of Iran proclaimed a national emergency as flooding in central and southern Iran claimed 300 lives and left thousands of people homeless.

Golf
Jack Burke, Jr. won the PGA Championship at Blue Hill Country Club in Canton, Massachusetts, defeating Ted Kroll 3 and 2 in match play. First prize money was $5,000.

50 years ago
1966

Died on this date
Tony Lema, 32. U.S. golfer. "Champagne Tony" won 12 tournaments on the Professional Golfers Association tour and 10 professional tournaments elsewhere, but was best known for winning the 1964 British Open. He tied for 34th place in the 1966 PGA Championship in Akron, Ohio, and then chartered a small plane to go to Illinois. The plane ran out of fuel and crashed near Lansing, Illinois, killing Mr. Lema, his wife Betty, 30, pilot Doris Mullen, and co-pilot Dr. George Bard.

Golf
Al Geiberger won the PGA Championship at Firestone Country Club South Course in Akron, Ohio with an even-par score of 280, 4 strokes ahead of Dudley Wysong. First prize money was $25,000.

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Non si puo' morire dentro--Gianni Bella (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Show Me the Way--Peter Frampton

#1 single in the U.K.: Don't Go Breaking My Heart--Elton John and Kiki Dee

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Kiss and Say Goodbye--The Manhattans

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Kiss and Say Goodbye--The Manhattans (2nd week at #1)
2 Afternoon Delight--Starland Vocal Band
3 Love is Alive--Gary Wright
4 Moonlight Feels Right--Starbuck
5 Let Her In--John Travolta
6 Got to Get You Into My Life--The Beatles
7 I'll Be Good to You--The Brothers Johnson
8 More, More, More (Part 1)--Andrea True Connection
9 You're My Best Friend--Queen
10 The Boys are Back in Town--Thin Lizzy

Singles entering the chart were Still the One by Orleans (#76); Wake Up Susan by the Spinners (#91); I'm Your Man Rock 'N' Roll by Tarney and Spencer (#92); Honey Child by Bad Company (#93); Out of the Darkness by David Crosby and Graham Nash (#94); You to Me are Everything by Real Thing (#97); (The System Of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether by Alan Parsons Project (#99); and Did You Boogie (With Your Baby) by Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Never Gonna Fall in Love Again--Eric Carmen
2 Afternoon Delight--Starland Vocal Band
3 You're My Best Friend--Queen
4 More, More, More (Part 1)--Andrea True Connection
5 Moonlight Feels Right--Starbuck
6 Misty Blue--Dorothy Moore
7 Got to Get You Into My Life--The Beatles
8 Love is Alive--Gary Wright
9 Let Her In--John Travolta
10 Take the Money and Run--Steve Miller Band

Singles entering the chart were (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty by K.C. and the Sunshine Band (#86); Two for the Show by Trooper (#90); The Queen by Nanette Workman (#93); I'd Really Love to See You Tonight by England Dan and John Ford Coley (#94); Movin' by Brass Construction (#95); Tryin' to Get the Feelin' Again by Brussel Sprout (#96); Summer by War (#97); Wham Bang Shang-A-Lang by Silver (#98); Lowdown by Boz Scaggs (#99); and Springtime Mama by Henry Gross (#100).

Health
An American Legion convention concluded in Philadelphia. Within weeks, 179 people had fallen ill and 29 had died of what became known as Legionnaires' disease.

Olympics
John Naber, a 20-year-old student at the University of Southern California, won his fourth and final gold medal of the Montreal Olympics when he became the first swimmer to break the two-minute barrier in the 200-metre backstroke. His time was 1 minute 59.19 seconds.

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 10 (CKRA)
1 Invisible Touch--Genesis
2 Holding Back the Years--Simply Red
3 Sledgehammer--Peter Gabriel
4 Whose Johnny?--El DeBarge
5 Love Touch--Rod Stewart
6 No One is to Blame--Howard Jones
7 Glory of Love--Peter Cetera
8 Your Wildest Dreams--The Moody Blues
9 There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)--Billy Ocean
10 Papa Don't Preach--Madonna

Died on this date
Fritz Albert Lipmann, 87. German-born U.S. biochemist. Dr. Lipmann began his career in Germany, but fled to the United States in 1939. He was awarded a share of the 1953 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his discovery of co-enzyme A and its importance for intermediary metabolism."

Football
CFL
Montreal (1-3) 29 @ Ottawa (2-3) 28
Calgary (2-3) 20 @ Winnipeg (2-2) 25

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Senza una donna--Zucchero featuring Paul Young (6th week at #1)

Died on this date
Isaac Bashevis Singer, 87. Polish-born U.S. author. Mr. Singer emigrated to the United States in 1935, and wrote journalism and fiction, entirely in Yiddish. He was awarded the 1978 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his impassioned narrative art which, with roots in a Polish-Jewish cultural tradition, brings universal human conditions to life." Mr. Singer died after a series of strokes.

Crime
Québec police found over 270 barrels of hashish floating in the St. Lawrence River, after smugglers tried to transfer the drugs from a tug onto life rafts; over 25 people from Vermont, Holland, and the Philippines were later arrested.

Football
CFL
Calgary (3-0) 42 @ Ottawa (0-3) 28

This was the third and final regular season game for Ottawa fullback Bart Hull. The son of Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull and brother of Hockey Hall of Famer Brett Hull suffered a knee injury that ended his season, and he failed to make it onto a CFL roster in subsequent attempts.

Baseball
Brian Hunter, just called up to the Atlanta Braves from the team's International League affiliate in Richmond, hit a home run in the Braves' 7-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates before 26,508 fans at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the Richmond Braves were finishing a suspended game against the Pawtucket Red Sox. Mr. Hunter had hit a home run for Richmond before the game had been suspended, giving him home runs for the Richmond Braves and Atlanta Braves on the same day.

Jose Oquendo singled home Felix Jose with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 4-3 win over the Houston Astros before 29,182 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

The Los Angeles Dodgers scored a run in each of the last 2 innings to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 before 36,127 fans at Dodger Stadium.

20 years ago
1996

Died on this date
Virginia Christine, 76. U.S. actress. Virginia Christine Ricketts, who later took the surname Kraft, appeared in plays, radio programs, movies, and television programs, usually in supporting roles. She was best known for playing Mrs. Olson in more than 100 television commercials for Folger's Coffee from 1965-1986. Miss Christine died of cardiovascular disease.

Scandal
Dallas Cowboys' receiver Michael Irvin was suspended for the first five games of the 1996 season by National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue after pleading no contest to a charge of cocaine possession.

Olympics
Canadian swimmer Marianne Limpert won a silver medal in the women's 200-metre individual medley at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (2-3) 10 @ Montreal (2-3) 36